1 IN 3 FRESNO CO. INMATES RELEASED EARLY REOFFEND
Fresno police say the revolving door is contributing to a recent spike in burglaries and auto thefts.
By Brad Branan
The Fresno Bee
May 23, 2010
At least one in three inmates released early from Fresno County Jail since 2008 has landed back in jail for new crimes -- sometimes within hours, an analysis by The Fresno Bee has found.
Many inmates were arrested and released repeatedly -- up to five times -- over a 28-month period.
It's unclear how many of the crimes might have occurred without early release. But Fresno police say the jail's revolving door is contributing to a recent spike in burglaries and auto thefts -- in part because repeat offenders know they have a good chance of getting released early.
Police and Fresno County judges warn that unless the Fresno County Sheriff's Office revamps how it handles early releases, problems with repeat offenders are likely to grow.
More than 90% of the early releases have happened since August, when Sheriff Margaret Mims made cuts at the jail. Citing a lack of funding -- a point hotly disputed by county supervisors -- the sheriff has cut jail capacity in half in less than two years.
Law enforcement officials, including Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, are upset about the early releases. Criminals are allowed to repeatedly break the law, creating extra work for police, judges and others in a criminal justice system already struggling because of their own budget cuts, they say.
Police are especially upset about inmates who repeatedly get released early. More than 300 inmates have been released early at least twice over the 28 months studied by The Bee -- and a handful have been released early five times, the analysis shows. Altogether, inmates released early have been charged with at least 2,500 new crimes.
"We know that a small percentage of criminals commit the vast majority of crimes," Dyer said. "When they're allowed to remain on the street, they commit a multitude of crimes."
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